Province acts to enhance health care, support providers in Surrey

0
93

SURREY: People of Surrey will have better access to a range of health-care services as decanting moves start for two new cardiac catheterization suites, a second interventional radiology suite and a new renal hemodialysis building at Surrey Memorial Hospital as progress continues on 30 actions to support patients and health-care providers.
The B.C. Ministry of Health and Fraser Health also announced they have hired hundreds of new health-care workers, which include doctors and nurses for Surrey Memorial Hospital.
“Since June 2023, Fraser Health and the Ministry of Health have collaborated with staff and medical staff to move quickly on solutions we committed to in our 30-point plan to meet the evolving care needs of Surrey’s growing population,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Health. “People living in Surrey will start noticing the changes and experience better care as we make substantial progress on key actions to improve Surrey Memorial Hospital and connect patients to heart, kidney and other complex care south of the Fraser.”
In the coming weeks, pre-construction will begin for a new standalone renal hemodialysis facility located on the northwestern corner of the Surrey Memorial Hospital campus. It will feature state-of-the-art equipment and will be able to treat more patients with kidney disease by adding 21 new renal services beds, bringing the total to 60. Construction is expected to be complete in 2025 with operations to begin soon after.
Planning and design work is nearly complete and decanting moves are underway for the new cardiac catheterization suites and interventional radiology suites that will be located in the Critical Care Tower at Surrey Memorial Hospital. These expanded services will allow patients to stay closer to home for cardiac and interventional radiology procedures and the hospital will begin serving as one of two regional cardiac catheterization centres for Fraser Health.
A list of accomplishments was provided by the province, which includes:
* expanded internal medicine bed capacity from 30 beds to 90 beds;
* implemented a Child and Youth Mental Health Emergency Response Team for Surrey Memorial Hospital and Fraser South;
* filled all 15 relational security officer positions at Surrey Memorial Hospital that are now working to prevent and respond to workplace violence, emphasizing customer service, trauma-informed practices and cultural humility and safety;
* recruited 21 resident clinical associates to support the work of hospitalists and internal medicine physicians;
* recruited 75 internationally educated nurses to enhance staffing levels at Surrey Memorial Hospital;
* recruited 70 physicians to work at Surrey Memorial Hospital;
* hiring 117 new nursing graduates and 164 employed student nurses at Surrey Memorial Hospital;
* implemented an expanded overflow waiting area for Surrey Memorial Hospital’s pediatric emergency department;
* opened a new transitional housing space that provides accommodations for patients who require a short stay in a transitional housing environment; and
* enhanced Fraser Health’s successful in-house learning institute to close critical gaps in allied staff and nursing. More than 50 additional nursing seats have been enrolled to date and the Health Career Access Program in acute has expanded to 66 program seats from 50.